Kidnapped
by Yannami
Summary: DCMK. "I want Kaitou Kid delivered to me in a week – dead or alive, it doesn't matter" Ran and Aoko always did look alike, and it never really mattered before. But now, it's going to cause some trouble – for both Conan and the Kid. Real, deep trouble.
1. Ransom

Ransom

_Kaito's at it again, _Aoko thought, _poofing up colors and things that shouldn't even be in a normal seventeen year-old's pocket. _However, for just that moment, she allowed a smile to grace upon her lips, because now Kaito wasn't using his magic tricks to play a nasty prank on her. Right now, he was standing on two socked feet on her living room couch – a makeshift stage – so that he could present her weary father with a magic show.

Truth be told, she was the one who requested Kaito to show him a few tricks on his spare time just to lift Nakamori's mood a bit. Kid has been irritatingly active lately, pulling heists week after week, giving her father little time for rest and his only daughter.

However, to her surprise, it was Kaito who decided to make it big. It was him who asked – or rather _begged_ – Nakamori to hold his small little performance in their house on a weekend so Aoko could be there. So Ako could _be _there with her _dad. _So she could see him loosen up and smile.

"BWAHAHAHAHA!" Nakamori suddenly hollered, snapping Aoko out of her daze. It was then that she noticed an annoyingly familiar flash of white. Kaito was dressed up as Kid. And he had a pie slapped into his face, along with a very flustered expression. Even though Aoko thought that it wasn't really the thief humiliating himself before her, it was still extremely close to the real thing; that in itself was very amusing – watching the collected international thief act like the jokester Kaito is. She felt her own stomach churn as a soft chuckle left her lips.

"Bakaito," she giggled, watching in amusement as Inspector Nakamori doubled over in the midst of the continuous bursts of mirth. Kaito grinned proudly to himself before lifting Kid's top hat, which revealed an oversized chicken resting atop his head.

"Oh my, no wonder my head's been heavy," he spoke, adding just the right amount of Kid's cockiness into his tone.

Aoko's giggles escalated into wild maniacal laughter. "Kid's head is always heavy because it's always filled with arrogance," Nakamori deemed in a wobbly voice, although the bright glimmer in his eyes didn't go over the young magician's head. Smiling, Kaito straightened up and presented his final trick – bathing 'Kid' in pink powder.

"Bravo!" Aoko yelled as Kaito removed his top hat and bowed to his two audiences. Beside her, Nakamori was clapping, hooting every once in awhile.

"You should teach me your tricks, Kaito-kun," Nakamori grinned, patting the young magician at the back once he had shrugged off the pink-dyed costume. "It could be the key to finally capturing Kid!"

Kaito's lips, in response, twitched uncomfortably. "Haha," he chuckled. "You think so?"

Aoko felt a smirk spread across her face. Kaito always has been a big fan of the thief – something that she could never understand.

"Of course! After all, the—" Nakamori was cut off by a sudden jolt in his pocket. With his face suddenly taking a more serious air, he glanced at his phone's caller ID. "I need to take this," he said before disappearing into the hallway.

When he was gone, Aoko sighed and collapsed into the cushion. "Must be work again. Dad has it hard. Kid's heists are beginning to grow violent nowadays. There are snipers there, Kaito. Snipers! And…my _dad_ is in there." Her lips twisted grimly as her eyes suddenly grew distant. "Kid's got it easy. He doesn't need to worry about the injured civilians."

Kaito freezes over, but Aoko is too busy staring at her feet to notice. Then, "Maa, Aoko. Don't worry about your dad. He'll be fine!"

She shook her head, fumbling anxiously with the hem of her shirt. "He's not invincible."

"But twenty years of chasing after the world's greatest thief should've given him all the agility that he needs to stay out of trouble." He stares into Aoko's eyes, suddenly very serious. "Listen, if you keep worrying like that, you'll end up sweating out the nutrients that are supposed to go to your chest."

There was a pause, and Kaito braced himself for the mop, for the comeback, for the punches or all of them combined. Instead, he was greeted by an eye roll and a soft, bated "thank you."

He raised his brows. "Aoko, you're thanking me for—"

"Not for that, idiot!" She sat back and turned away. "I'm thanking you for the magic show, and for making me find time with my dad. You're actually nice if you're not being an irritating prankster. Which you usually are, by the way."

She could've gone on – add a bit of sarcasm, a tinge of buffoonery and maybe a tint of flattery to her close-to-honesty speech. However, her thoughts are interrupted by the phone wailing. Kaito straightens up and reaches over the desk to pick it up, used to answering phone calls in his childhood friend's house. "Hello?"

"Nakamori," says the voice. It was raspy and deep, obviously disguised to conceal an identity. Kaito's eyes widened, and instinctively, he reaches over and records the conversation.

"Who is this?" He glances at Aoko, who freezes at the goofy prankster's sudden air of sternness. He mouths at Aoko and tells her to call her dad, and in a second, she's scrambling towards the kitchen.

Aoko gets there just in time to see her father close his phone. "Dad," she gasped from the doorway. "There's a weird person on the phone. You might want to be there."

Nakamori had his doubts. He raised his eyebrows at his daughter's alarm, wanting to know what was going on. However, before he could ask, Aoko was bolting back into the living room.

When she returned, she felt her heart clench.

Kaito looked horrified. It wasn't the kind of horror he got whenever fish is involved. That look on his face right there? That's concern – pure, genuine terror.

"What do you want?" he growls. Kaito taps on the desk as he listens to the man's response. Then, his fingers go still, and she could see his chest freeze beneath the polo.

Her father walks in at that moment and, feeling the tense atmosphere, he says, "Kaito-kun?" The young boy looks at the Inspector and holds a finger to his lips.

Suddenly, the air feels very chilly. Aoko could feel her heart running cold as she continued to listen to Kaito – the silly bright-eyed Kaito – converse with the unknown recipient in an iced, steely voice.

Finally, he puts down the phone. For a minute, he stood still – gripping the edge of the desk, his shoulders tense. Then, Nakamori took a step forward. "Kaito-kun, what was that?"

"Kidnapping."

Aoko and Nakamori freeze, the gears in their brains working fast. _Kidnapping, _Aoko thought. Kidnapping is a crime that she was far from familiar with, even if her father is a cop – the head of a Task Force dedicated to capture a world-famous criminal, actually. But that's just it! The criminal that he's after is – in her opinion – merely an annoying, attention-seeking buffoon who can't sit still.

As far as she's concerned, Kid doesn't _kidnap _people. He doesn't hurt people, he doesn't _kill._ The thief was even said to have jumped off aircrafts and buildings to save some butts. Before the snipers came, Kid's 'honor code,' as people liked to call it, was what eased Aoko's anxiety towards her father's safety.

And now, for some blasted reason, they were dealing with kidnapping!

"Kidnapping?" Nakamori spluttered. "Kaito-kun, that's—"

"_Nakamori."_ The Inspector paused and gaped at the black device held between Kaito's fingers. The young boy was replaying the entire conversation, which he had recorded.

"_Who is this?"_

"_That doesn't matter."_

Aoko heard her footsteps in the background, before hearing Kaito's response. _"I'm not the Inspector—"_

"_Then I want you to pass a message, kid."_ A soft chuckle. _"I have a request. And his daughter. Lovely girl she is, you know?"_

"_Aoko!" _Kaito's voice snaps. _"She's alright? I want to talk to her. Nothing happens until then." _Aoko glances immediately at her childhood friend. His face was stoic, revealing nothing. Deep down, she wondered why he never told the guy she was safe. Why did Kaito go along with it?

A ruffle comes from the other line. Then,_"dad?" _A voice. It was a girl's voice, probably the same age as Aoko. _"Dad, don't do anything he tells you to! Don't—"_

The girl was cut off – probably, the phone was taken away from her. Then, she could hear a long pause. _Kaito was collecting himself, _she thought. The voice wasn't hers, but it could be real. It _must _be real.

"_What do you want?" _He whispers in an odd tone.

"_Simple. I want Kaitou Kid delivered to me in a week – dead or alive, it doesn't matter."_

A sharp breath. All at once, the gears in Aoko and Nakamori's brains seemed to stop, their mind suddenly unable to work properly. Then, _"Shit,"_ Nakamori whispered.

"_I don't want you ratting about this to the police. The second you do, deal's gone." _She could just feel the wicked grin grow at this point. _"We'll be waiting."_ The phone beeps, signaling the end of the conversation. Then, she hears a click from the tape recorder as Kaito presses the button to stop it.

For a while, it was silent. Kaito, staring at a faraway wall, looked more somber than Aoko's ever seen him before. Her dad, she realized, had gone tense – a colorful stream of curses rambling off his lips in hushed, steady fury. She didn't know how she looked at the moment. That is, until she saw Kaito glance at her from the corner of her eye.

"Aoko," he breathed. "Are you okay?"

She glanced at herself at the mirror. Her face was pale, and her expression was contorted into uncontrolled guilt. "Somewhere out there," she gasped, "someone is suffering in my place."

Nakamori's eyes became wide. "Aoko that's not—it's not—it's those—we don't even know if this is real!"

"I think it is," Kaito whispered. He turned to the Inspector. "It would take a total nutcase to prank a cop like this. Either he wants to go to jail that bad, or it's real."

Nakamori's eyes narrowed, lip caught between his teeth. _He had a point. _

"Well there's still the off-chance that this is all just some kind of sick joke," Aoko whispered, teeth clenching.

"I hope it is," Kaito murmured. Then, glancing at Nakamori, "you should capture Kid, Inspector," he says. Aoko flinched in response, fearing what this little fiasco could do to Kaito. He doesn't wish for Kid to be captured. He never did.

"That's impossible," Nakamori said, more a breath than anything. "I've been trying to do just that for twenty years! He already pulled a heist yesterday. Next notice will probably come next week, and that'll be too late! Besides, let's say that if by some miracle, he sends it before the deadline. Who says that he won't escape like always? Especially now that I won't have the Task Force's support!"

"It isn't like you to give up, Inspector," Kaito says, smiling reassuringly. "You're the only cop who could measure up to Kid. Who says that you can't capture him at his next heist? This is a life that's at stake here, so you have to do it. You _will _catch him."

Aoko could feel a breath catch in her throat as she watched Kaito – for the first time in her life – root for her father over the thief that he supposedly idolized. Then, out of nowhere, her father dripped out a grim, humorless chuckle.

"You're a little ahead in thought, Kaito-kun. I don't even have a lead to finish the first step yet. How can I confront Kid without arousing suspicion from the police?" _I'm completely deviating from the law,_ he thought. _The values keeping me together are falling apart!_

"You're right," Kaito whispered in hopelessness. However, this tone was something Aoko could identify. It was a part of the Kaito she knew – the tone he'd use during the stagnant seconds right before a sudden burst of magic. "How the heck can we capture Kid in such short notice without arousing suspicion?"

"Oh no, Kaito-kun. It's not _we. _It's _me._ This case is far too dangerous for a kid. You and Aoko forget about it." Then, turning to his daughter, he said, "Don't worry. We'll save her."

From behind him, she could see Kaito give her a goofy, lopsided grin. _It will be okay._

For the first time since the phone call, she finally managed a genuine smile.

"I know."

* * *

><p>Author's Note.<p>

Hi hi! I have been reading too much crime fics lately. Anyway, FINALLY, this 2K+ monster is done! When I thought of the plot, I didn't think that each chapter would take this long. I mean, in my chapter summary, all that I wrote was "Kaito, Aoko and Nakamori receive phone call from kidnapper." Whew!


	2. Then I'm counting on it

Then I'm counting on it

_When the two towers collide,_

_I shall take the prized Alexandria_

_(doodle)_

When the Detective Boys asked Conan to play soccer with them that morning, he didn't accept it. Rather, he _couldn't._ Because his thoughts were swirling quickly. Violently.

Ran still hasn't come home.

No phone calls, no witnesses, no leads to her whereabouts. She isn't like that. She isn't the type to make people worry. She can't be easily hurt or abducted because she's strong and smart. _But she's also brave,_ Conan thought, heart freezing. It wouldn't be difficult to imagine her getting hurt in someone else's place. Hurt or worse.

Out of nowhere, he felt something warm nudge his cheek. Swirling, he found Ayumi smiling at him, holding out some melon pan with her right hand, since the left was occupied with a paper bag stuffed with more food. "You should eat something, Conan-kun," she said with a hint of concern. "You'll be able to think more clearly with a full stomach!"

"Ah, thanks," he replied, forcing a smile before taking the snack from her. He took a bite, and drew a circle at the map laid down before him – hoping that he could find some clue, _any clue, _by figuring which route Ran may have taken.

Then, realizing that this was getting him nowhere, sugar-coated fingers froze, and he shook his head – eyes thinning. He needs to _think! _Where could she be? There has to be a hint there somewhere. He just needs to identify it, and then piece it all together!

He backtracked to the events before her disappearance. Ran left the house – there was nothing unusual about her attire and behavior. She claimed to be meeting up with Sonoko to try out this new café just around the corner of Ekoda. When Kogoro asked Sonoko later, she confirmed that indeed, Ran was with her 'til five in the afternoon. There was apparently nothing off about her that day.

Ran was simply being Ran.

This led Conan to believe in the horrible possibility that she had been attacked. But by who? And how? Person must've been insanely strong if they managed to take her. Or maybe they were…_armed._

"Crap," he muttered, crumpling the edge of the map. Ayumi, Mitsuhiko and Genta took a step back, while Ai sent him a dark look.

They were bundled beneath a tree at the local park. It was a good day. However, the harmonious and chirpy Sunday afternoon didn't seem to fit well with Conan's edgy, jittery mood. Still, his foul temper having a negative effect on the children's pleasant dispositions lunged at the bottom of his mental list of priorities.

"Alright," Ai sighed, facing the three kids. "Let's play by the swing set."

"But Conan—"

"—will be fine," she assured Genta. Standing up, she ushered the children away from the moping detective. "Now go play. I'll follow."

She shot them a steady look before they could protest, and in a second, the children were scuttling away from the two shrunken teenagers. Ai sat herself next to Conan, who was slouching over – face empty as he stared long and hard at the crinkly map of Beika and Ekoda.

"I take it that it's not going so well?" she inquired. There was a pause, and that's all she needed see in order to know. Silence prolonged, but their minds were loud.

Finally, Conan whispered, "You don't think that it's _them, _do you?"

Ai blinked, and then drew a deep breath. "No. They'd have no reason to take her. And I doubt that they know about who we are. Otherwise, we'd all be cold, bleeding corpses by now."

A cold chuckle emitted from the shrunken detective's lips. "Way to sugar-coat it, Haibara," he murmured. However, despite the ice which was his voice, Ai still managed to perceive a tint of relief in his tone. She also noticed, from the far corner of her eye, a man slowly and tensely approach the Detective Boys.

He was around Kogoro's age, but he was clothed in loose garments and had a longer, sterner looking face. However, judging by the vibrant, clownish suitcase he held in one hand, and the way that the children immediately warmed up to him just by the few sentences he spoke, she assumed that his personality deviated far from his looks.

"An aspiring street magician," Ai hummed in disinterest as she watched him flash some predictable magic trick to the kids. They were impressed, no doubt, but even from afar, she could already tell the trick behind the vanishing cards. She turned to Conan, who had averted his eyes back to the map, clearly not interested in anything that had nothing to do with Ran.

"Conan-kun! Haibara-san!" Mitsuhiko yelled, bolting towards the two – Ayumi and Genta right beside him. "Look at this! It's so cool!"

Conan's head slowly shot up from the map. He took one look at the group, and saw that behind the children, the man was directing a hard, serious look towards him. He might've eyed the man back in wary if he hadn't remembered to put up his childish mask.

"Eh? What is?"

The children stopped in front of him, excited smiles splayed across their faces. Then the man let out a soft, nervous chuckle. "Ahaha, it's a magic trick. A magic trick!"

Conan raised his brows at the man's sudden shyness. Had he been imagining that look?

"I'm an aspiring magician, you see, and I wanted to see how children would react to my tricks before I try out for something big!"

"Oh I see!" Conan mused childishly. "Can I see?"

"Y-yes! Sure!" The man spluttered as he hastily and clumsily pulled out seven cards from his suitcase. Behind him, Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko chuckled at his antics.

Conan's suspicions instantly died as he watched the middle-aged man stare at him with a nervous, lopsided grin. "Pick a card, little boy!" he said in his wobbly, high-pitched voice as he attempted to pull off a confident tone.

_What, _he mentally drawled, lazily picking one up from the middle. _This is the oldest trick in the book! _

"Don't look at it yet," the man smiled before moving his fingers around the card, pretending to cast a spell of some sort. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko fell silent as they leaned their necks forward in eager anticipation. Ai glanced at her nailed in mild interest. Conan mentally rolled his eyes.

"Are you going to guess which card I got?" he asked, trying to inject some childlike wonder in his tone – and failing. Really, the Great Detective of the East had no time for silly little magic tricks. All he really wanted to do was find Ran and worry about Ran and kick the bastard who dared to take Ran.

The tips of the man's sharp teeth glinted beneath up-twisted lips. "Not quite," he whispered, soft enough for only Conan to hear. Wary suddenly rising again, Conan turned the card over and felt his fingers freeze. Attached to it was a note.

_I need to talk to you._

Then, just like that, the card disappeared in a puff of pink smoke. Ayumi, Genta and Mitsuhiko cheered in the background while Conan merely stared at his empty hand in disbelief. Ai, noticing the look on the detective's face, raised her brows.

"Oh my," she murmured, a snicker slowly forming in her face. "Has the Great Detective of the East really been defeated by a silly little magic trick?"

"Of course not, Haibara," Conan replied, composure flooding back. He stared up at the stranger, who was by then 'fretfully' declining the children's requests to be taught the trick. "I'm just amazed. Kaitou Kid's got guts to come all the way here to see me."

Ai's eyes went wide, and she stared at the allegedly middle-aged man in shock and wonder. "K-Kaitou Kid?" she gasped beneath her breath. Her statement was left hanging in the air, however, as the small detective jumped off the bench and went towards the man, bouncing on his heels to feign childish excitement.

"Mister!" he beamed, "Teach me how to do that! Please!"

The man turned away from the three children and cocked his head to the side. "Sure!"

The children, in response, gaped up at the man in utter disbelief.

"_What?_" Genta bellowed, "But we saw it first! It's not fair that only Conan gets to learn all those neat tricks!"

"That's true," Ayumi concurred, tone quiet and disappointed unlike Genta's wild cry or rage. "It's not like we're any more difficult to teach that Conan-kun."

"We won't be a burden!" Mitsuhiko added.

That's when Ai took a step forward to glare at the two boys, a lively, terrifying memory at the Bell Tree Express suddenly bursting all over her head. "Let these two otakus herd together," she spat, voice dripping with venom. "I mean, it's not like they tell us anything, even if it clearly involves us. Right?"

Suddenly, the temperature in the park seemed to drop. Lips caught in between his teeth, Conan glanced up at the man. At Kid. Who had decided to drop his jittery disguise and stand with that composed, confident composure. Darting his gaze to _anywhere_ but the angry scientist before him, he briskly wondered how Kid could pull off being so unfazed.

Meanwhile, Kid was screaming in his head.

_THE HELL? WHAT DID I DO TO GET THIS WOMAN SO WORKED UP?_

"Well?" Ai snapped, causing Conan to jerk out of his daze and the Kid to mentally yelp in surprise. A beat of silence passed, and Kid turned to the children standing horribly still behind Ai.

"So sorry I couldn't teach you today," he smirked, bowing to the three kids before giving a small, playful wave. He and Conan turned on their heels and walked down the steps towards the cemented road.

"I take it that you didn't come all the way here to irritate me," Conan said as they rounded a corner. "Shouldn't you be doing whatever it is you do before a heist, Kaitou Kid?"

"I'm afraid that tonight's theft is merely a prop," the thief replied, dropping the middle-aged man's silly voice. "There's something that I need to do, and I can only accomplish it under the guise of a heist."

"And that is..."

"I can't say," he replied, playful tone hiding steel underneath. Conan felt his eye twitch in annoyance.

"I didn't get pulled out in the middle of an important business to keep guessing your antics."

"I didn't call you out to waste your time either," the thief muttered, dull and distant – all hints of playfulness suddenly wiped clean off his face. They stopped in an alley and rested their backs on opposite ends of each other. Then, Kid held out a black recording device between two masked fingers. "I think that you might recognize this voice."

There was a moment of whirring on the other end before the sound came. _"Dad? Dad, don't do anything he tells you to! Don't–" _A shuffle and a click as Kid put an end to it before stuffing it back into his pocket.

For a minute, it was silent. Conan's thoughts seemed to stop all of a sudden as his brain refused to circulate and analyze anything. Then the voice that he heard repeated itself in his mind, successfully piercing through his heart like a spear. That was Ran's voice. _Holy crap! _That was Ran whimpering and keening right there! This is _bad!_

_This. Is. So. Bad._ This cannot be happening.

"So it is her," Kid sighed, knowing perfectly well what the silence meant. Instead of answering, though, Conan snapped his gaze at the thief – eyes wild and dangerously cold.

"Why do you have that?"

"I just do."

"Where is she?"

"I don't know."

"What do they _want?"_

"Me."

Conan's mouth froze, and he cast his gaze downwards, face paling even further. "Crap," he hissed.

The street suddenly felt very quiet. It wasn't a place people liked to pass by often, and besides the constant ruffle of the trees, all that they could really hear was the distant traffic further blocks away. "So why come here?" Conan finally asked.

Kaitou Kid straightened his back against the wall and stared tiredly at the wall right above Conan's head. "It could only go two ways, detective," he mused. "You could capture me now and save her, or you could figure out all that we need to save her. Either way, with you on the case, the chances of success are high."

Conan slouched against the wall, arms falling limply at his sides. _So it all comes down to me, _he thought, eyes darkening. Sure, he's thrilled to have full access to the clues. He's glad that he's not being kept in the dark regarding his childhood friend, of all people. Still, there's that pressure of weight.

Ran's life was basically in his hands, so he absolutely _must not _fail because goddamn it! He can't afford to let her die! This is Ran! Stubborn, beautiful, smart, irreplaceable Ran!

"Why would they even take her to get to you? Sure, I'm the 'Kid Killer,' but I'm physically just a seven year old with an eight p.m. bedtime. And the kidnapper didn't even call us."

"I'm afraid that there was a mistake in the kidnapper's part," Kid muttered, "Their true target was actually the Inspector's daughter, who happens to look a lot like Mouri-san."

Conan's eyes were suddenly wide, and his face had gone very pale. "No," he rasped. "No, no, no, no, _no! _If they find out – if they –"

"They don't know it yet," Kid cut him off. "The person who answered the phone call didn't let them know about their slip-up. I don't think that Mouri-san is going to let them know either."

Conan visibly calmed. He took a small breath before asking, "How do you know all this?"

"I listened to the call," Kid drawled with a lighthearted grin. "Overheard the commotion in the Inspector's house while I was preparing myself for the next heist."

"And you stole the recording device," Conan slapped his hand against his face. Kid smirked.

"I wanted to help," he said. "Besides, they have two copies."

"Anyway, how much time do we have?"

"Six days,"

The smallest hint of a leer tinted Conan's face. "That's more than enough time to catch these bastards. Kid, I won't capture you. You shouldn't let yourself get captured either, otherwise, we'll lose all leads with no assurance of Ran's life. I'll be doing my own research about everyone you stole from. If I could narrow down the list of suspects by tonight, that'd be great."

"I'll help you out," Kid said. "Not tonight, but maybe tomorrow. I'll make sure that you don't miss anyone. There'll be lots of files. Looks like we've got our jobs cut out for us."

Conan sighed. "We'll pick up something from it. We'll find leads. Definitely."

A small smile ghosted over the thief's face – so quick that Conan isn't even sure if it had been there.

"Then I'm counting on it, detective."

* * *

><p>Author's Note<p>

My GOD! I think that this is even longer than the last one!

And thank you all so much for leaving a review (for reading this in general, actually!) You're all so wonderful. I don't deserve you. Haha!

Anyway, if you do catch some spelling or grammar mistakes, don't hesitate to point it out to me. I've been working on this through my tablet 'cause my laptop decided to make my life more difficult by breaking down. So yeah, no autocorrect, boohoo.

I hope that you liked this! It'll probably be one of the longer chapters. I'm sorry, I must've broken some of your eyes.


	3. Truce

Truce

"You should tranquilize him."

Aoko slammed some eggs into a lunch box while absentmindedly watching her father thunder up and down the staircase – papers and necktie flying in his wake. The household has been in absolute chaos the very second Kaitou Kid sent his heist notice that morning, not that it was unusual. It was an everyday thing for Nakamori to explode into a sudden burst of energy, especially since Kid's sudden surge of activity.

"Tranquilize Kid and stuff him into a sack. I keep one in my room. Sometimes keeps Kaito in. It might work for him too," she added, shutting the bento box lid with a satisfying click. Then, she glanced at her father. Nakamori was only giving her half of his attention while he furiously buckled his belt into place. It hurt, but Aoko learned long ago that if she avoids dwelling on the stinging stabs of pain, she could minimize the bother. Besides, she knew better than to mope about it now.

Nakamori needed all the vigor that he could get, considering what's at stake.

"Maa, dad, don't forget to bring your lunch, okay? And did you hear what I said?"

"Aoko, I doubt that a sack could hold the Kid," replied the man.

"Even if he's unconscious?"

"Even if I do manage to knock him out with a tranquilizer," he quipped, patting his blazer into place. "Besides, I doubt that the Task Force wouldn't notice something as extreme as the Kid suddenly falling over to nap."

The girl gave her father an odd look, before packing a pair of chopsticks – face barely containing fear. "So what now? The only chance we'll have at saving her is by shooting Kid down."

Nakamori suddenly stopped, the folder he had hastily been scanning through frozen in between his fingers. Aoko did have a point, but it was one he'd rather not think about.

Kid has never hurt anybody. Saved his bacon a few times before, even. He _couldn't _shoot him. Still, he couldn't exactly clear his mind of the hostage's voice. A young girl, just like his daughter. One who probably had a father, maybe even a mother, frantic and worried, just waiting for her to come home.

Kid or her. Kid or her. A criminal, or an innocent citizen?

Damn, he was gambling with two lives. Two _people, _for goodness sake! He wouldn't have that. It was wrong in so many ways.

Whirling around, he sighed and gave his daughter a serious stare. Damn parents better be grateful when he does manage to save the girl. He was putting his job on the line.

"Aoko, about that sack..."

* * *

><p><em>When the two towers collide,<em>

_I shall take the prized Alexandria_

_(doodle)_

Kid's notice for that heist was fairly easy to decode. The two towers he was referring to were actually two hotels in Beika situated on perpendicular ends. Their shadows collided when the sun descended to the West – that's sunset in Japan, approximately five to six o' clock in the afternoon.

The Task Force spent half a day analysing it, worrying all the while that bombs were going to make two buildings crash. It wasn't until later that day, when a little boy relayed a message from the great detective, Mouri Kogoro, did they realize what the code meant.

Now, contrary to popular belief, Nakamori was far from foolish. He always set up the traps with meticulous precision. It's just that the Kid always has been a slippery one. However, twenty years has proven that he was the most capable cop when it comes to chasing after the white-clad thief.

Although he was a joke to the other divisions, in the Task Force and Interpol, (and to all those who have experienced first hand what it was like to chase the thief), he was quite respected.

Which is why he managed to get a hold of a tranquilizer gun.

Currently, Nakamori stood in front of an cased alexandrite gemstone, which was called the 'Alexandria' because of it's previous owner's rich backstory. The Task Force was strategically scattered about the room, gas mask on to prevent the success of Kid's usual sleeping gas trick.

It was eerily silent inside the hall, save for the hollow echo of cops' heavy breathing. Nakamori decided to keep just a few men in, particularly because he wanted to keep as little witnesses as possible.

"Inspector, it's five thirty," a uniform by the window said. Nakamori's heart clenched in apprehension.

"Well keep your eyes open. This is Kid, and we've still got thirty minutes to go."

"It's quite flattering to see you commend my skills, Inspector," a husky voice whispered from behind him. "I'd hate to disappoint."

Everyone in the room abruptly turned to their heels, breaths catching beneath their gas masks.

Kaitou Kid is standing on top of the glass case, the Alexandria a bright, yellow glint between his white-gloved fingers. He looked at them with that usual perceptive smirk, eye and monocle obscured by the brim of his top hat. Behind him, the cape slowly flutters down, resting still just behind his ankles.

Unconsciously, Nakamori tightens the grip around his tranquilizer, which was hidden beneath his suit. Then, before anything else could happen, the lights suddenly died, and smoke burst from all sides of the room. They heard the glass shatter, exposing them to the thief's screaming fans far below the building. Then,

"It's Kid!" a uniform called out from across the room.

By the time that the smoke dissipated into thin streaks, a white, triangular form was already gliding away.

_No! _The Inspector thought as he screamed orders for his men to follow. _No, no, no! Not now, just for this heist, just hear me out!_

Nakamori turned to his heels to tag along with the hasty, confused bustle which was his cops. However, along the way, someone had bumped into him. In the darkness, he wasn't able to tell who had done it. What he did know, however, is that it stopped him from catching up with the Force. He also knew that by the time that he got up, they – along with the thief – had become unreachable. He clenched his teeth, a wild flurry of curses almost leaving his lips. Almost.

Because before he could get the first dreadful word out, he heard a soft shuffling noise.

That's when he saw Kaitou Kid gait from the shadows, footsteps soundless as he walked towards the window to hold up the gemstone. It suddenly occurred to him that the thief couldn't see him. There were no hidden cameras, either. They were alone.

If he tranquilized Kid and stuffed him into a sack now, no one would have to know about it.

Hands shaking, he aimed the tranquilizer gun at the thief, lips curled grimly as her slowly coiled his fingers around the trigger. Then –

"You've gotten smart, Inspector," the thief suddenly spoke, gemstone sagging down with the rest of his arm. Then, his monocle glinted as he turned to Nakamori, face revealing nothing. However, the Inspector could still somehow tell that he was eyeing the tranquilizer gun.

"I don't intend to hurt you," he suddenly blurted – knowing perfectly well that that the Kid could easily differentiate a tranquilizer gun from a brutal killing machine even in the dark, but not wanting to risk giving him the wrong idea. The last thing he needed is for him to escape. Again. "I just wanted to talk to you."

"Oh? About what?" Again with that promising look that says that he already knows. Nakamori always found it irritating and unnerving, but he decided to focus his stress on what to say instead. One wrong word could end with the thief slipping from his fingers. It could end with a young girl – who could've been Aoko – dead, and he can't have that. Not now, not when there's a life at stake.

"Calm down, Inspector," Kid suddenly says with an air of playfulness, but voice brimming with just a tint of concern. That's how the Inspector realised that he was sweating as he pondered on how to relay the message.

To his surprise, the thief walked away from the window, cape and features mingling with the shadows. He hopped on top of the glass case and stood there, looking just like he did when he first arrived. "This humble thief is willing to hear you out. Now what did you want to tell me?"

"I got a call yesterday," says Nakamori, eyeing the thief, looking for a reaction. An emotion. But there was nothing. "A girl was kidnapped in my daughter's place, and the criminal wants the ransom by the end of the week." There was a pause, and his lips twisted. "Kid, the ransom is you."

Kid doesn't react. Poker face remains intact. When wind from the window picks up and catches his cape, Nakamori sees that his posture is as lithe and relaxed as always.

For a moment, he panics. What if he overestimated Kid? What if he really doesn't care about the safety of others? What then?

"Kid, you –"

"Inspector," the thief whispers, hat lowering and obscuring more of his features. "I know someone who might be able to help us track her down by figuring out who the culprit is. However, he'll most probably need the files on everyone I've stolen from. Twenty years ago until today. Do you think you could get me that?"

Nakamori's mind suddenly seemed to stop as the shock of his current situation slapped him like a hot pan. _Holy shit! _he thought. _Holy Shit! Kid, world-renowned criminal, Phantom thief Kid, whom I've been chasing half of my life, is helping me out!_

"Of course I could get you that!" he boomed, hope welling up in his chest. However, twenty years of tag couldn't exactly be thrown out of the window at a mere drop of a hat. His eyes thinned. "I need to know that I could trust you, though. How can you prove that this isn't all some plan of yours?"

"How can I? Other than the fact that I could steal those files anytime I wanted to, you're right. There is no solid proof that I didn't plan any of this" Kid replies, more serious than Nakamori's ever heard him. Ever.

"So why don't you just steal it? Why go through the trouble of asking me?" By then, the Inspector was more curious than suspicious. The bigger part of him doubted Kid's involvement in this crime. Despite his constant denials, he respected the thief to a certain extent.

"I was thinking that you wouldn't want me sneaking around your office dressed as a cop."

"Fine! Fine!" Nakamori rolled his eyes. "When and where?"

"How about the rooftop of Haido City Hotel? I'll pass by it it the afternoon, maybe after the schools dismiss their students."

It suddenly occurred to Nakamori that Kid was asking for his approval. He cleared his throat, trying to disguise the amused chuckles.

Then, something from across the building caught Kid's eye, because the thief suddenly froze over. Half a second later, he was leaping down – a soft hiss escaping his lips.

Nakamori watched, gaping and confused, as said Phantom thief gaited to the side in one swift motion. Then, there was a bang, and to Nakamori's horror, something small burst into the wall behind the spot Kid had been standing on, before he heard a soft, metallic clank roll on the floor. A bullet.

Someone had tried to kill Kid again, and although Nakamori already knew this, seeing it up-close and so close to succeeding filled him with such dread and terror.

"K-Kid –" he gasped, eyes fixated on the bullet, "w-what in the..."

"I'm afraid that it is time for me to take my leave, Inspector," the thief said, tipping his hat down.

"Kid, who the hell is trying to do this to you?" Nakamori finally snapped, eyes averting from the bullet. However, by the time that he looked up, Kid was already gone.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

My gOd! You guys are amazing! 19 reviews, that's the most I've gotten in two chapters! Wow. THANK YOU SO MUCH!

Haha! Oh, and now for some shameless self-advertisement.

*aherm* I recently posted a one-shot entitled "A Criminal's Fiasco." And by recently, I mean days ago. My mental clock is messed up. I am so sorry.

Anyway, the story is about two non-professional jewel thieves who decide to take Kaito as their hostage since he was the closest, "helpless" hostage within their reach. It was supposed to be sillier but...nope! I just _had_ to make Aoko's agony realistic. Damn it.


	4. DB

DB

When Aoko came to school the next morning, she knew that it was going to be a difficult day. Because inside the classroom, the girls were clawing for the top of the chalkboard. And perched on top of the chalkboard was Kaito.

And the girls were livid.

"Oi, oi, it isn't my fault that the smoke bombs exploded," Kaito said in a calm, rational tone. He easily dodged to the side as one of the girls – Tanaka-san – made a feeble attempt of whopping him with the mop.

"Yes it is!"

"Be a man and face us, Kaito-kun!"

"Get down from there!"

"Tanaka-san, what is going on?" Aoko asked, walking over to the angry group of girls. At the sight of her, they all visibly lit up. Kaito paled.

"One of Kaito-kun's smoke bombs somehow placed in our locker room exploded while we were changing yesterday, and it dyed all our stuff pink!"

Aoko pursed her her lips and darted a glare at Kaito, who straightened up and braced himself – the mocking grin remaining intact.

"Tanaka-san, please lend me the mop," she muttered.

The bundle of birds perched on the windowsill squawked and fluttered, a bustle of hectic feathers, when something inside the classroom boomed and banged.

* * *

><p>"This is so unfair,"<p>

Sitting lazily on the teacher's table, Kaito picked up a chalk and balanced it on top of his nose. Classes have already ended minutes ago, and the two were stuck to clean up the mess they have made. "Why do I have to clean up? I didn't break anything. Unlike Ahoko – Woah"

He dodged to the left, chalk landing on his lap, and reached his palms out to the front of his face to catch a candy wrapper being hurled his way. Aoko frowned at her failed attempt of injuring her best friend with an obviously head-damaging weapon, before slowly putting an arm down. "Such a baby,"

"Am not!" Kaito cried, attention quickly shifting to the candy wrapper at hand. He absentmindedly folded the piece of cellophane smaller and smaller until seeming to make it disappear in a bright burst of confetti. Aoko stared after the mini show for a second, before stomping over to the young magician.

Mop-empty hands on her hips, she hovered over him. "You help out too!"

"But I'm not that one woman force of chaos who couldn't keep her mop in place!"

"And I'm not the bumbling buffoon who can't stop turning everyone and everything pink!"

"And I swear, teachers that need to deal with you two deserve a sharp salary increase."

Kitsimura-sensei, the english teacher, stood tiredly by the classroom doorframe. She glanced around the place that had once been a well-kept classroom – now a pink, messy clutter of chairs, tables, and a cracked chalkboard. Then, she averted her gaze to the two high school students.

Aoko Nakamori and Kaito Kuroba's mop chases and silly antics have become daily occurrences in their beloved High School. They never got punished for it. Not until today, that is, because the two were exceptionally bright students. Bright students tended to know their limits. But as it turns out, even bright students may cross the line.

"Ah, sensei," Kaito said, prancing over to the teacher's side and producing a rose out of thin air. With the air of an obnoxious gentleman trying to piss off a certain Aoko Nakamori, he says, "perk up! A tired look doesn't suit such a pretty face!"

Another reason that they managed to stay unpunished for such a long period of time, however, is the measly fact that Kuroba has this tendency to swoon the female teachers but...it's not something that Ekoda High would like to admit, so forget that I ever said that.

"Kuroba-kun..." Kitsimura gasped, cheeks growing hot.

"Now if you'll excuse me, I, Kaito Kuroba, must take my leave." Then, without so much as childishly sticking his tongue out at his childhood friend, he disappeared in a puff of smoke.

Aoko stared at the empty space, mouth blubbering curses in her blatant indignation, while the woman beside her slowly clapped her hands.

"He's so talented, isn't he?"

In the end, Aoko had to fix the rest of the room herself.

"Nakamori-san, don't forget to close the doors before you leave, okay?"

And man was she mad. Her polite "okay" and steady footsteps did not reveal that she was seething and more than willing to shove a fish into Kaito's mouth. She marched down the street and around the blocks – strides increasing – before a thought of the kidnapping swiftly crossed her mind.

She held on to it, realizing that she still didn't know how her father was doing. And then, all of a sudden, all thoughts about Kaito was thrown off the window when the idea that her father never once spoke to her after Kid's heist struck her.

It could mean so many things. Kid escaped, and he cannot face her. Her father found leads, and was putting himself in danger. Kid decided to help him, and they were figuring things out (though Aoko highly doubted this option).

Well, whatever it was, it was serious enough to keep him from scrambling like a headless chicken in the morning, and actually leave the house with a somber look on his face.

Shoes chafting against the pavement, she made a turn that lead to her father's office, rather than to their home. She should ask him there herself if she wants to sleep well that evening. After all, who knows if he'll be up enough when he gets home to tell his little ol' Aoko about trivial matters she shouldn't even stick her nose into?

Typical!

* * *

><p>"Oh, Aoko-san!" one of the older Task Force officers familiar enough with the system to know Nakamori's daughter greeted as she entered the office. "If you're looking for your father, he said he was going to Haido. I don't know where exactly, but he did have an awful lot of files with him."<p>

Aoko cocked her head to the side. "Files? About what?"

"People that Kid's stolen from in the past twenty years," Nishimura – Aoko recognized him – said from across the room.

"I think that he's trying to figure out who's trying to snipe the Kid," a newbie sitting across Nishimura said.

"Why would he do that? The Interpol is already working on that, right?"

The officer to greet the young girl placed a finger under his chin. "I'd like to ask him that myself, but he's been real busy running about the office and staring at his phone all day to actually answer."

"I get the feeling that he's keeping something to him—_ah! Aoko-san!" _

Aoko left the office in a hurry, quick legs leading her to Haido even if she knew from the bottom of her heart that she'd have no idea where to go when she got there.

However, there was no denying the giddy beats of her heart. _He's figured something out, _she thought. _The tranquilizer gun and my sack must've worked!_

Minutes later, her shoes left a small trail of dust as she expertly skid across the pavement to make a sharp turn at a blind corner – face dropping when she saw four heads bob up and freeze at the sight of her.

_"Oof!"_

Next thing she knew, she was kissing pavement – a large little boy sprawled beneath her. His face was a mixture of shock and disbelief, just like the three other children who managed to dodge before the impact.

"Oh my gosh! I am so sorry!" she cried, standing up to dust her pleats before gently offering a hand to the child. He didn't respond. He just stared and stared, not unlike the others. This worried Aoko. "Are you okay?"

Then, "Ran-neesan?"

Aoko turned around and found that the person who said that was a dark-haired little girl. She cautiously took a step forward, a freckled little boy following not too far behind.

Before she could open her mouth to say anything, however, the children were suddenly frantic – jumping up and down and screaming!

"Where have you been, Ran-neesan?"

"Conan-kun's been so worried!"

"Why are you wearing that?"

"Were you kidnapped?"

"Did you karate chop the bad guys?"

"Maa, Aoko, I leave you for a minute and you decide to go whopping innocent kids. What is wrong with you?"

Everyone turned to their heels – Aoko a little faster than the rest.

Kaito was standing next to the stoplight pole, his satchel (bulkier than it had been compared to this morning, for some odd reason) slung lazily across his shoulder.

Again, the children stood frozen. And before they could raise another clamor, the other little girl cleared her throat.

"He isn't Kudo-kun," she stated.

So, the kids paused. They leaned forward. They stared and narrowed their eyes. Then, they squeaked.

"It's him!" the large boy Aoko had bumped into cried, his statement earning him a confused look from the little girl.

"You know him, Kojima-kun?"

"Yeah! It's that guy we saw at the island! The one with the fake jewels and gunmen! Remember? We told you about him!"

"Oh?"

Kaito flinched, for some odd reason, before the accusations started to unfold.

"He's the one who tied up the crocodiles' mouths with rubber bands!"

"Yes! He helped us run from that angry pig!"

"Not to mention that scary trolley that had broken rails!"

"Niisan, aren't you the guy who doesn't like fish?" the dark-haired girl finished, flashing Kaito a sweet, kind-hearted smile.

Aoko's breath seemed to catch in her throat, and she turned to Kaito so fast, her head might've snapped.

"What have you been _doing_?"

"It wasn't me!" Kaito cried, waving his hands in front of him in a defensive manner. "It must've been a mistake! A mistake! Or you children must have some pretty wild imaginations, huh? Ahaha...ha...ha..."

"We're not lying!" the large kid – Kojima, was it? – yelped in defiance.

"I get you. The fish part is pretty fishy, after all," Aoko drawled.

"Stop saying the name of those finny critters!"

"Well then explain, Kaito. Now."

The young magician shrugged. _Poker face. Poker face_. "It must've been that Kudo guy," he finally said after awhile. "Geez, Aoko. I'm not the only person in this world who's ichthyophobic!"

"Ichthyo...what?" the dark-haired girl murmured.

"Ichthyophobic," the other little girl started, making Kaito freeze, though Aoko couldn't tell why. "A person who suffers from ichthyophobia, fear of fish. Now who would've thought...that _you_ of all people would have this kind of condition?"

Aoko eyed the child in awe for a few seconds, wondering how such a little girl manage to pull off a more intimidating aura than her. Then, as if sensing the stare, the child turned to her and smiled. "I saw it on tv the other day!"

"Oh, is that so?" Well, whatever. Little girls are little girls. She glanced at Kaito, who was sweating by that time. "You know him?"

There was a tinge of amusement coloring her tone. "I might, if my suspicions are correct."

_What?_

"I don't know you!" Kaito suddenly spouted. "I don't know any weird, evil-eyed demon spawns!"

"Shut up, Kaito! You don't say that to little girls!"

"Well at least I don't run over little boys, white-pantied Ahoko!"

"Who said that you could look at my panties, Bakaito!"

"White-pantied Ahoko!"

"Loco monkey Bakaito!"

Their banters have escalated to its usual glory by then, complete with the confetti bursting at some point, and the resounding echo a mop slicing through air. By that time, the little girl looked extremely shocked and amused.

Then, Aoko decided to put the mop – which was conveniently placed inside a nearby house's gate – down to face the children. It was then that they realized that the three kids were absolutely floored.

"Hey, niichan! Are you a magician?" Kojima gasped.

Kaito paused for a moment, eyes darting to the 'evil-eyed demon spawn' every once in awhile. Then he replied, "Not really."

"Kaito, what is wrong with you?!" Aoko hissed, causing the boy to stiffen. Magic was his world. She didn't understand why he'd suddenly stoop himself to low pedestals when it came to the one thing that he was absolutely passionate about. "You've turned the entire school into a messed-up fiasco because of your magic! You've been gloating about it to me all your life, for goodness sake, and then suddenly, you're saying that you're not really a magician?"

The little girl raised her brows.

"This is just like the day I first realized that you were afraid of fish! Even after all the fuss that you made, you still refused to admit that you were scared!"

"How bad is his ichthyophobia?" the little girl asked.

"Very bad," Aoko smiled, tone and expression lightening up in that split second. She ignored the freaked-out yelps Kaito was making behind her and continued, "One time, when he flipped my skirt up and saw that I was wearing fish-printed panties, he started screaming like a little girl and he couldn't do anything after that!"

"Hm," she eyed him. "Gentleman, huh?"

"Aoko! You're giving her too much info!"

"Ooh, this reminds me of the time I dragged him to the aquarium back when we were young. Kaito was so adorable, crying and sniveling like a scared llama. You never told me why you pulled down the fire alarm, nee, Kaito! If only you said that you were scared, then I might've—"

"Aoko!"

She poked him teasingly on the cheek. "Aww, not so cool now, are we?"

"You have no idea," the little girl huffed beneath her breath.

Kaito grumbled a flurry of death curses which Aoko decided to ignore, before turning towards the children. That's when she realized that it was getting late, and she still hasn't asked her father about Kid.

"I'm really sorry about bumping into you," she gently smiled at Kojima, causing her childhood friend to roll his eyes.

"He'll be okay. We're sorry we said so much after you apologized, neesan," the skinny one said, bowing.

"That's okay. It was a misunderstanding."

A grim look crossed over the children's faces just before Aoko could turn to walk away. Then, deciding that it wouldn't hurt to linger just a little longer, she asked, "What's wrong?"

"It's nothing, neechan. You just look like someone who's been missing for awhile," the dark-haired little girl whispered.

Aoko's heart seemed to clench. "H-hey...has she been missing for three days? Including today?"

"Yes," the girl whom Kaito did not like said, an odd look suddenly flashing in her eyes.

Aoko swiftly glanced at Kaito and gave him a curt nod. "What's her name?"

"Ran Mouri, daughter of Kogoro Mouri. She lives at Beika, it's not hard to find," she replied, voice devoid of any emotion.

_Kogoro Mouri!_ Aoko thought, internally gasping! _He's that great detective! They took his daughter in my place!_

"Thank you," she stammered, bowing at the four kids before quickly turning to her heels. The children stared curiously at her retreating back – one of them with a look of concern, not quite of a child's, coloring her face.

Kaito's footsteps padded softly behind her. "Aoko! Where the heck are you going?"

"Detective Mouri's agency!"

"But remember what the criminal said! Get the police involved, and deal's off!" He sounded desperate by then, Aoko noticed. Still, she trudged on.

"We're not getting the police involved! Mouri Kogoro is a private investigator! And besides, he deserves to know where his daughter is!"

She rammed down a staircase, Kaito easily keeping up.

"You do realize that they don't recommend investigators to work on personal matters!"

"Well then what do you want me to do? Go all the way to Osaka to pick up the Great Detective of the West? Or maybe call on the Great Detective of the East, Shinichi Kudo, was it? Well he's been missing for a long time, Kaito!"

"Aoko, what I'm saying is—"

"—that I should sit back and do nothing while my dad and Kid work on this case?" She snorted. "No way!"

Kaito suddenly stopped in his tracks, and Aoko did so too to stare back at him. Then realization hit her like a tidal wave.

"Oh, you probably didn't know," she whispered. "I heard that my dad is suddenly acting strange and...well, it's a long story. But I suspect that he managed to convince that crook to help him out."

"Really?"

"That's right! And this time, I refuse to sit still and do nothing!"


	5. Let's get along!

Let's Get Along!

The narrow staircase leading to Detective Mouri's agency smelt of alcohol and tobacco. It was also dark, with just a very thin stream of orange light illuminating from the gap of the agency's door and the floor.

It's Aoko's first time to be there, but something tells her that it wasn't usually like that. There was a soft touch of vacant loneliness coloring the air, and it sends a shiver down her spine. Without any commotion and clatter, the hall feels empty.

She walked up to the door, fists clenched and held firmly by the door, and hesitated for a moment upon hearing murmurs from the other side. Murmurs from a man and a woman; judging by the tone, the conversation must be serious. Beside her, Kaito stays silent, leaning lazily against the wall and staring down at the staircase with calculating eyes.

She didn't want to interrupt the people in the room, but she knew that she needed to do this. Gathering a breath, her fist collided with the door and made three firm knocks. The murmurings stopped.

About a beat of silence passed before she heard the thumps of heavy footsteps – loud and tired, just like her dad's. Another beat and the lock of the door clicked before creaking a hairline wide. Half of the face of a middle-aged man peeked through the gap.

"Yes? Waddaya want? We're –" He froze, and Aoko saw his eyes quickly travel to her face.

Then, the door swung wide open. _"Ran!"_

The woman sitting on the couch straightened up and snapped her gaze towards them. "Ran?"

"Ah, I – I'm not –" Aoko stammered, stepping back and waving both hands in front of her frantically. The man understood. After prolonging his gaze, he knew that the giddy relief had been for naught. He paused, lips freezing, an unsaid screech of joy hanging in dead air. Then he turned to the woman, now standing, before shrugging tiredly. "False alarm."

The woman sighed, an involuntary whine leaving her lips, before sinking back into the couch and staring blankly at the half-closed windows.

There was no doubt in Aoko's mind that these people are the parents of Ran Mouri. However, she still needed to confirm it. "Are you Kogoro Mouri?"

"Yes, I am," replied the man, voice gruff possibly from continuous smoking. "But I can't take on any case right now."

"You'll want to take on this one," she said, trying very hard to keep her voice strong. "My father's job right now would be so much easier with your help, I'm sure. And his job right now might have something to do with Ran Mouri."

She didn't see their reactions because towards the end of her sentence, her gaze fell to her fingers. She heard it, though, with the sharp intake of breaths. Looking up, she saw that Kogoro Mouri didn't look like he was capable of reacting properly. The woman took action and stood from her place, before rushing towards the girl.

"How is she?" she asked, and Aoko bit her lip. _How is she?_ The question itself has been bugging her several times, preventing her from having any decent sleeps. The idea of a complete stranger suffering in her place felt like having a lit match stabbed into the gut. She felt guilty and absolutely terrible for having to see a woman – who is most probably a mother – in pain.

"Hello!" Kaito suddenly said, saving her from the dilemma of having to answer the question by stepping in front of the woman in one swift motion. "My name is Kaito Kuroba, and this is Aoko Nakamori. What we have to say is quite long, so if you don't mind, may we come in?"

The woman and the detective stared oddly at Kaito for a few seconds, looking like they were trying to find something there and analysing his appearance. Then the man huffed a breath. "Yeah, yeah," he muttered before walking back to the office.

Rolling her eyes, the woman held a hand out. "My name is Eri Kisaki, a lawyer and his wife. You already know who he is. Please. Come in." Then she stepped aside and ushered them towards the couch.

The smell of tobacco was stronger inside the office. That was the first thing Aoko noticed when she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the room. The second was that it was dimly-lit, the setting sun allowing little rays of its light to stream in through the windows. It touched the ground in soft, orange beams, revealing the gleam of something that is most probably made of tin scattered all over.

Eri flicked on a switch and everything burst with light, illuminating details that had been hidden by shadows. Aoko saw that the office table was stacked with large piles of papers. Pencil shavings and small office equipment were a messy constellation of dots across the table and the floor.

And there were beer cans – empty, spilled and full – _everywhere._

Detective Mouri was already on the couch even when they were just entering the door. Eri didn't waste much time making petty conversation either. Right after the two teenagers were seated, she immediately sat beside her husband – her posture poised and lips pursed tight.

"So how is she?" she repeated her question.

Aoko scooted over to Kaito until their shoulders touched beneath the sleeves; it was more of a nervous habit than anything. "We haven't heard from her in awhile but –"

"In awhile?" Kogoro asked, leaning forward. "You heard from Ran?"

"Dear," Eri snapped, and it made the great detective sink back into the couch. Then, turning back to the two, she said, "Nakamori-san, please go on. Tell us everything you know.

There was a pause. Aoko wasn't sure where to start. Then, she felt Kaito lean towards her.

"Let them listen to the conversation," he whispered.

"What? I didn't bring the recording device with me."

"Yeah you did."

Aoko stuck her hand into her satchel, eager to prove her point, when her finger brushed against a smooth, plastic surface. Her brows furrowed. _How did this get in here?_

She placed the device on the table, glimpsed at the couple and regretted it. Eri Kisaki's perceptive, worried stare pierced right into her heart. Kogoro Mouri's anxious look caused her to cast her gaze down. "This will basically sum everything up," she whispered, pushing the device towards them.

There was a click as her numb finger depresses the button, and for awhile, a whirring sound circulates across the stale air. Then, a voice cuts through.

_"Nakamori..."_

* * *

><p>The sound of a truck whoosh through the road just outside the window filled the silence as Kogoro and Eri sat crouched on the couch, allowing the new information to sink in.<p>

This silence was broken by Kogoro's shaky, low voice. "Hey, kid, could you hand me another can of beer?"

Kaito's hands swiftly ran through the cans beneath the table until he found one that wasn't empty. He carefully handed it to the older man, apparently forgetting to turn on his poker face.

Aoko saw that his eyes were distant, and his brows were curled tight in unease. She knows that he is pained, and possibly even angry. Seeing a father look so troubled has obviously sliced through his heartstrings.

After all, he once had a father himself.

"Sunday, huh?" Comes Eri's soft voice. "And they want..._Kid_."

"What the hell is the inspector doing?" Kogoro bellowed, completely catching Aoko off-guard. "Didn't Kid pull off a heist last night? How could he let that mangy crook _escape_? With what's at stake, how could he slack off?"

"My dad isn't slacking off!" Aoko suddenly snapped, hands at the edge of the table as she looked at the man. _Girl, remember your manners! _screamed her mind. _This is the Great Detective who has offered his help countless times to capture Kid!_

_Yeah, but he didn't have to say that, _reasoned her heart, which seemed to be much closer to her nerves and vocal chords.

Seeing that no one was speaking, she continued. "Just so you know, he's putting his job and freedom at risk, even as we speak, by defying the authorities! Last night, he was going to tranquilize Kid and stuff him into a sack!"

Something seemed to catch in Kaito's throat. He was suddenly coughing and gawking hysterically, but she decided to ignore it.

"Also, dad hasn't failed us! Not yet! We still have four days to go, and we could still do so much!"

"Like what? Do you have any suggestions?" Kogoro wasn't being sarcastic. He was dead serious when he asked this. His wife had a similar look of determination as her gaze zeroed in on the young girl.

"Well for starters, you could talk things out with the inspector and Kid," Kaito shrugged.

"Kid?" asked Eri.

"Yes. We suspect that he's helping the inspector with the case."

Several expressions flashed across Eri and Kogoro's faces. Confusion, worry, and shock. With jobs seeing black and white and leaning heavily on justice and law, Aoko was pretty sure that they'd react as badly as her to the knowledge of actually working with an international thief.

However, as if rethinking the situation and seeing – really seeing – the fact that this is _the_ Kaitou Kid helping them bring back their daughter, relief washed out all other emotions.

She knew, however, that interrogation would surely follow.

"Well then, _I'm_ going to to set a very important appointment now, so if you'll excuse me," Eri stood up and dusted her pencil skirt.

Just before she could turn to her heels and walk to the table, however, the door creaked, and they heard the patter of footsteps dance around the doorway.

"Uncle, what's going on? It's so loud!"

"Conan!"

Kaito suddenly went very still – his muscles and ligaments all radiating palpable tension. Aoko looked over the couch and saw that the person standing by the doorway was a small little boy.

"He's so cute," she mused, scanning the child and completely ignoring Kaito, who was softly spitting out a long stream of curses under his breath for some odd reason.

"Ah, sorry about that, Conan-kun. You don't have to worry. Go to the professor's if you'd like. We're going to be pretty busy," Eri said.

"Yeah! We finally found a lead to Ran and we don't want you ruining anything!"

"R-Ran-neechan?" the boy yelped, expressions shifting from giddy childlike innocence to serious, calculating shock. "Where did you hear this from? What are the leads?"

"It's none of your business! You're just a brat!"

"Dear!" Eri scolded from across the room, hand already tightly wrapped around the telephone. "He's just as worried about her as we are!" Then she turned to Conan, eyes softening a reasonable amount. "However, this is something that you can leave to us. Don't worry about it. That mustached old man and I will fix this."

"M-mustached old man?"

"Was Ran-neechan kidnpped?" Conan suddenly asked, tilting his head towards the two teenagers sitting on the couch. "Did they tell you that she was kidnapped?"

Eri pursed her lips and stared the boy. Despite his age, she knew that Conan was exceptionally bright. She also knew that hiding anything from him could really only lead to trouble.

Walking across the room, she ignored her husband's glares, knelt in front of the child and gripped his shoulders. "Conan-kun, listen. It is very important that you don't tell _anyone_ about this."

"I won't," he quipped. Then he pointed childishly at the two teenagers. "So who are they?"

"I can't believe that they're letting him stay. This is a serious matter," Kaito smoothly muttered under his breath. Being one of the privileged few who knew him very well, however, Aoko was able to perceive a touch of nervousness coloring his tone. "Little kids shouldn't be snooping around. Aoko, you tell 'em. Make them kick him out. Please?"

"What? No!" she hissed back. "He really won't do much damage!"

"Unless he tells anyone, Ahoko! Kids are kids! He'll want to tell all his friends about something this juicy!"

"You're the kid! If you want him out so bad, _you_ talk to them!"

"I'm going home."

Aoko stared, mouth hanging open. Then, _"What?"_

Kaito gave Conan a pointed look. "Let's go home, Aoko. We're done here, aren't we? Your dad will get worried if he doesn't find you at home."

"My dad doesn't come home before eleven."

"Still, haven't you ever thought about the dangers of walking around exposed when the kidnappers who are originally after you still out there?"

"No," she whispered. "If they come after me, I'll run."

Kaito stared blankly at her. "i-d-i-o-t""

Aoko scoffed, stared, leaned in and glared straight into his soul. "I am _not_ an idiot!"

"Yes you are," he retorted mockingly. Like a child.

And like a child, his childhood friend was absolutely affected.

Aoko, just like her father, was not known for her patience. What little she had had worn off with the taunts. Pushed at the edge would be the signal of a mop chase. But seeing that there was no mop around, she resorted to her second instinct.

She snapped. "For Christ's sake, will you stop calling me a ****ing idiot you..." Curses began rolling off her tongue. She's very good at it. Creative too.

When she was done, the room was very silent. Even Kaito, wide-eyed and caught off-guard, didn't say anything.

Then they heard Eri clear her throat. "There's a child in here, you know?"

"Oh!" Aoko gasped, hastily turning to the small boy. "I am so sorry! Conan-kun, don't say any of that, okay?"

"No worries," replied the child, looking at her with a strange, distant look in his eyes. "Uncle's really no different."

Conan's eyes flickered from Aoko to Kaito, who had suddenly taken an interest in the blank, half-closed windows. She wasn't sure if it was just her but as he stood there, facing away from all of them, didn't he look a little robotically stiff?

"Niisan?" Conan hummed, craning his neck towards Kaito. The latter tilted his head towards them – slowly and barely revealing much of his face. Then Conan's face lit-up. "Ah! It's Shinichi-niisan!"

The teenager stiffened further, if that was even possible. Then, Kogoro stepped forward to bonk the child upside the head. "He's not that detective brat!" he groaned. "Stop assuming that there's two of them! Just one is enough!"

"But he is him," he whimpered, running a palm over his aching head. He allowed Eri to scold the man for him, and ran towards the two high-schoolers. Aoko was absolutely pleased to have him meet them. Kaito, however, although pleasantly calm on the outside, had his lips twisted grimly in absolute discomfort.

"Listen, little boy. I'm not that Shinichi guy you're talking about. I don't even know who he is," Kaito drawled, bending down to meet Conan's gaze. A flash of irritation crossed the child's eyes, but it was gone that same second.

"Really? But you look so much like him!" He smiled brightly. "In fact, if you styled your hair a bit and paraded as Shinichi-niisan in, say, a theatre, an airship, a helicopter, or even in this very office, no one would notice!"

By then, Kaito was sweating. "You've got a pretty wild imagination, kid!"

"Really?" Conan cheered. "My teacher says that that's a good thing!"

"It isn't," Kogoro grumbled, taking another swig of his beer. "This brat's imagination has gotten him into more trouble than I can count. Kidnapping, homicide, murder, robberies, you name it."

Aoko's hands immediately flew up to her mouth as she stared at Conan, wondering how such a small, helpless child bear go through all that. Then she notices, for the first time seriously, that he actually looked familiar.

Her mind racked through various newspaper articles that she's seen. TV programs that she's watched. Was he a child star? Or did the heinous crimes he got caught in squeeze him into the media?

"I also attended Kaitou Kid's heists," Conan added to the list, and Aoko's eyes widened. How could she forget? Her father has mentioned a certain little boy getting caught up in his case whenever Jirokichi Suzuki is involved!

Little Conan, the 'Kid Killer!'

"Ah! I know you! So you hate Kaitou Kid too?" She beamed, facing the child with a proud look on her face. Conan, in response, smiled back.

"Yes!"

"My dad is actually the inspector! One day, we're going to put him behind bars. When you're older, you should join the Task Force and help him out!"

"I could! I could!" Conan jumped, causing Kogoro to roll his eyes and Eri to chuckle.

_At least_, Aoko thought, _they're looking better. _

"Make up your mind, kid! Did you want to be a detective or a member of the Interpol?" Kogoro snapped.

"I don't need to worry about it yet! I'm just a kid!"

Kaito snorted beside her, and this time, Aoko decided that she wasn't going to ignore it. She turned to him. "Kaito, what is wrong with you? You've been all stiff and quiet since Conan-kun came in."

"Have I?" he whispered back. "Maybe it's because I'm afraid your dad would beat me up if I take you home late."

"Oh, you know he wouldn't do that. He likes you!"

"Unless I take you home late."

"Oh, niisan, are you going to help me save Ran-neechan?" Conan suddenly asked, face resembling that of a kicked puppy's. "Won't you and neechan stay and give me the details?"

Kaito straightened up, and suddenly, it seemed like he was never anxious. "We'll do our best to help, but we can't stay after talking with them." He gestured to Kogoro and Eri. "Aoko's dad wouldn't want her getting home late!"

"Hn..." The child stared at them oddly. Calculatingly. Then, "Are you two dating?"

_"WHAT?"_ they bellowed. Aoko fell to her knees and grabbed Conan's shoulders.

"Listen, Conan-kun! _I_ would never date a wild, loco monkey like _him_!"

"As if _I'd_ date a violent, tomboyish ape like _you_!"

Eri clapped her hands. "That's enough."

Through the sharp, normalcy in her voice, Aoko suspected that she's used to banters similar to theirs.

Whose banters, though? Her daughter, Ran Mouri, and someone else with a personality as crazy as Kaito's?

As if reading her thoughts, Conan said, "Auntie used to do that a lot with Ran-neechan and Shinichi-niichan."

"Shinichi? Who is he?"

Conan, to her surprise, didn't look up smiling like she'd expected him to. Instead, he cast his gaze down, drawing at the dust through the tip of his shoes. "He's her...childhood friend. Her best friend."

Before she could say anything else, he snapped her gaze at her, an air of childlike wonder radiating off him. "Anyway, you look so much like Ran-neechan! What's your name?"

"Aoko Nakamori," she replied.

"I'm Conan Edogawa!"

He smiled for a second before turning to Kaito, head lowering ever so slightly. "What is your name?"

"My name," the young magician drawled, friendly smile revealing nothing, "is Kaito Kuroba. Let's get along!"


	6. Detective Magician

Detective. Magician.

Having the detective figure out his civilian identity has crossed Kaito's mind several times, and in those instances, the deep pool of consequences has only made itself apparent.

Now don't get me wrong. Kaito knows that the detective has a soft, mushy heart. He's seen him blabber and flush and prance around in Ran's presence. However, he's also seen him knock out a couple of criminals. The magician knows that the detective's sense of justice is strong; heck, he had the nerves to face some criminals nasty enough to blow someone up in a certain Bell Tree Express. However, he also _knows_ that the detective could kick _very _hard, especially when mad.

Well Kaitou Kid has taunted him about Ran's underwear. He made him run around in circles, even used his face without permission a couple of times. _And_ he almost kissed his rival's special friend that one moonlit evening.

So while Kuroba Kaito sat there, Edogawa Conan standing right in front of him with an allegedly innocent smile on his bespectacled face, all the former could think of was: _Crap!_

_Crap! Crap! Crap! I am so busted! Crap!_

"Well," Kaito drawled, leaning back on the couch, poker face being stretched to the extreme. "Don't you have any homework, little boy?"

"Oh, I've finished it long ago!" Conan smiled, shaking his head slightly.

The young magician snuck a glance at Aoko. She was busy speaking with the Mouri girl's parents. He can't really use her as an excuse to leave his alter ego's rival unless..._unless_ he was willing to degrade their image of him by seeming a little rude. He quickly racked through the pros and cons of butting in, and finally concluded that he was going to interrupt.

Hm. It might be good. Kuroba Kaito's denseness, contrary to Kid' slick manners, might even drop the pint-sized private eye's suspicions.

"Ahoko!" he called out, standing up to bolt towards his childhood friend. But then something held him back.

The mini detective grabbed his fingers before he could leave, looking at it with feigned childlike wonder. "Your fingers are so long, niichan."

Aoko, Kogoro and Eri, all looking mildly irritated at having been interrupted, darted their attention back to each other and pushed through with the conversation.

And by then, Kaito was internally shivering. Suddenly he was on full-guard – carefully aware of his breathing patterns and posture. He saw to it that he didn't reveal any hint of nervousness, but at the same time avoiding Kid's usual suave nonchalance. He kept an eye out on his fingers, which were being held near the faux child's face, and made sure that they looked relaxed.

"They're _really_ long long and thin!" Conan looked up at Kaito, head tilting ever so slightly. "Why is that?"

"Because I was born with it," he replied.

Inside, he was cursing. The detective is on to him, he's sure. And he was using an effective form of interrogation – sweet and slow, like honey, and then painfully sharp once the target lets his guard down.

Well the magician saw to it that he never let his guard down, and he could tell that it was getting on his rival's nerves.

He paid attention to his newly-released fingers – lazily interlocked behind his head.

"Wow! You're lucky! I heard from the telly that fingers like yours are good for playing the piano!"

"Oh really? Well I don't play any of that, sadly."

The detective made a show of looking disappointed, although being a master of masks himself, Kaito easily saw through it. There was a glint in his eyes – a glint that says that his clever little mind was stringing things together. _Detective_, he thought,_ is on to something._

The blow came half a second later.

"What about magic?"

"What about it?"

"Do you do magic?"

Kaito's mind was suddenly working fast. _I can't lie,_ he thought. _Otherwise I'll only seem more suspicious. _He can't be too impressive either. And he can't be dull. Kuroba Kaito is supposedly an amateur magician, but he is not dull.

Straightening up, he said in a loud, annoyingly conceited tone, "Yes I do magic! There is _no one_ in this world who can defeat me! _Heh heh heh_!"

"Bakaito!" Aoko yelled from across the room.

The boy smiled, fully expecting this.

"You're always too full of yourself! You're really not _that_ great!"

"Yeah I am!" He childishly stuck his tongue out. Eri was making small circular motions around her temples, while her husband roughly slammed a fist onto the tabletop.

"Do you wanna get out, _brat_?"

"Ah, no," he said meekly. The three resumed the talk, and that was the end of it.

But something told him that the shrunken private investigator wasn't quite done with him yet. There was a pause. A pause that took longer than he anticipated. Aoko's and the couple's voices have become buzzing hums in the background, and for a moment, it _did_ seem like the sleuth was going to drop the subject.

If there's one thing he knew about Kudo Shinichi, though, it's that he never let's a suspect off so easy. If he was going to drop the bomb, he was going to drop it now. Yet even as he thought this, Kaito realized later that all the knowledge and mental preparation that the world could offer wasn't enough to prepare him for the boldness of the detective's next move.

"Say, are you Kaitou Kid?"

There was silence, filled with paling and numbing. And in the split second that the poker face faltered, Conan's eyes flashed, and Kaito knew that any leeways had been burnt. This was a dead end. He was busted. The detective had set up an elaborate blackmail, _goddamn him to hell_.

Still, despite the hopeless situation, he found himself clinging to that last thread of hope. Kaito did what Kaitou Kid did best. "What? Of course not! What would make you think that?"

_He lied._

"Well I just think you are," the child shrugged. "And I think it's cool! I'm gonna tell everyone!"

He had no solid proof, and he was merely using the situation to his advantage. After all, these threats are empty shells when hurled at an ordinary magician; nothing more than the silly result of a seven-year-old's wild imagination.

An ordinary magician wouldn't know the extent of Edogawa Conan's intelligence. He wouldn't know about what he can do to someone he deems a suspect.

But Kaitou Kid will know. And Kaitou Kid is freaking out.

"Alele? Hey, Aoko-neechan! I just found out something that you might want to listen to – " Kaito briskly covered the child's mouth.

"No, Conan-kun," he said sharply. "That is a bad word. You don't say that, okay?"

"Will the two of you_ shut up_?" Kogoro suddenly bellowed, his patience lost completely as he stood up to glare at the two boys. Aoko was behind him, looking just as mad.

"Good heavens, Kaito! What are you teaching a _child_?"

Eri's temple-massage clearly wasn't working. She reverted to pinching the bridge of her nose, obviously trying to keep calm. The young magician released his grip on the faux child's mouth and stood back up, sensing that the detective wasn't going to spill.

_Yet_.

Then, he scurried towards the door.

"Whoa, Conan-kun. Let's go! Let's go! Before they eat us alive!"

"Ah! Scary! Wait for me, Kaito-niichan!"

Once the Great Detective had tottered over to his side like some kind of innocent being, Kaito allowed a silly smile to dash across his face. He directed a waving motion towards Aoko and, before any of the three could react, he closed the door and dropped the smile.

* * *

><p>The staircase was still dull, but brighter that it had been earlier. A fluorescent lamp hovered overhead, it's hum loud against the silence. Kuroba stared blankly at the wall in front of him, satchel sprawled across the ground, and fingers hanging loosely at his sides like dead things.<p>

It was Conan who broke the silence. "You have good acting skills, I could tell you that."

The magician smirked, sharp teeth glinting underneath up-twisted lips. "Can't say that I can commend you in return. Blackmail is a pretty nasty trick, detective."

"I was a bit pressed," he replied, repressing shock at the other's sudden shift in tone. He watched the magician shift his weight, not in discomfort, but rather to pull the school bag up his shoulder. Then Conan cast hist gaze at the plain walls ahead, lazily crossing his arms across his chest. "I'll be honest. I didn't actually think you'll just waltz into the agency with the risk of getting caught. Mistakes like that aren't like you, Kaitou Kid."

"What if I said that I'm just borrowing Kuroba Kaito's face for today?"

"That's impossible. You blushed when I asked you about your relationship with that Nakamori girl."

"Oh?" Kid said, looking like nothing in this world could ever faze him – "_Aoko_. It's because of her that I am standing in your delightful company now" – however, judging by the way that the thief said her name above everything else that rolled of his tongue, he deduced that she was someone who could push the thief's buttons; probably has already done it several times, if the banters he had witnessed earlier was anything to go by.

For just that moment, Conan wondered if he was seeing, really seeing, the Magician Under the Moonlight for who he really is – a teenage boy, just like himself, with a certain fondness for his childhood friend.

After all, it was strange to see Kid use a girl's first name so casually without a disguise. Around all women, he was slick mannerisms and flattery. Around this one Nakamori Aoko, you wouldn't think that he was anything more than the prankster he appeared to be.

"To think that you'd be weak against the inspector's daughter," the detective murmured, grinning at the irony.

"No, I am not weak against her," Kid replied in his usual nonchalance. "A little wary, maybe, but that's because she is the inspector's daughter."

A thought suddenly occurred to Conan, and he turned to the thief. "Why are you here anyway?"

"To get Mouri Kogoro's help, of course." Kid said, leaning down before Conan could protest, "I agree with Aoko on one thing. Those two deserve to know where their daughter is."

On a normal day, the shrunken sleuth would've objected. But he's seen how serious the _ojisan_ had been. He's seen how absolutely terrified and _broken_ he and the lawyer were when they needed to file the case on a missing person.

It was more of a gut feeling, and his gut feelings were usually right – the man who was the father of his childhood friend will find a way to help bring her back.

"So, detective," Kid drawled, the slightest touch of urgency coloring his tone. Urgency that he saw in himself – one that he'd been hiding behind his own childish poker face for three days. "How's the research going?"

"Not so great," he spit out, the words – like venom – hanging onto cold air. He called the police headquarters, searched the net, asked Haibara, the professor, even Hattori, and still found nothing that could be called a practical lead.

The thief suddenly lifted his satchel and gave Conan his usual, all-knowing smile. "Well I have stuff here that could help you out."

A wave of relief suddenly washed over the detective, successfully churning his insides. "What is it?" he asked.

Kid looked around for a minute before bending down so that his eyes leveled with the faux child's.

"Documents," he whispered. "Documents about everyone that Kid has stolen from in the past twenty years."

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

Wow. Okay. This took awhile to make! I edited this about...three times! Because basically, nothing much was happening, so I decided to kind of just use the opportunity to clarify how Kaito and Shinichi viewed one other.

Anyway, I kinda got the plot set up now. I think. Ooh, and I'm reading lots of DC crossovers. And there's a freakin' Danny Phantom and Nancy Drew in there! My childhoods combined! Woohoo!

I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and the ones that will surely come in the near-future!

Yes, even if my ultimate goal is to ruin brains with (in my opinion) insanely long chapters, which are coupled with long-ish ramblings which is this author's note. Haha, see you!


	7. Reports

Reports

Kid briskly ran his thumb across the thick stack of files – the soft sound of papers slapping against each other loud against the silence – before spreading them across the floor in one swift motion. Even after the removal of the files, his satchel is still bulging with god knows what kind of tricks and traps. The pile, however, were genuine police copies.

"How did you get these?" Conan asked, but the thief didn't answer. Kid diverted himself away from the question, instead stating, "These are police reports about my heists and cases that involve me. We should find something in there. My assistant told me that the Inspector was looking deeply troubled when he placed it on the rooftop for me to find."

Conan dropped the question and began to scan through the files – relief at the sight of actual leads nibbling at him, underneath the underlining stress that came with the extremely large pool of suspects. He knew that he couldn't afford to miss a clue. _Even just one._ Because gods, that could cost Ran her life, and he can't have that.

Never.

…

…

April 1 XXXX – Attempted theft Black Star

April X XXXX – Theft of Black Star

…

…

September 12 XXXX – Theft Givenchy Necklace

…

…

October 26 XXXX – Theft Silver Crow

…

November 4 XXXX – Attempted theft Falcon Earring

November 5 XXXX – Theft Falcon Earring

…

December 23 XXXX – Theft of Red Child

…

…

June 2 XXXX – Attempted theft of Alexandria

…

…

In front of him, the aforementioned criminal was sitting – splayed in an uncharacteristic, un-Kaitou-Kid-like slouch. The only trait pointing to the alter ego within the teen were the sharp, indigo eyes swiftly scanning through and analyzing the documents; indigo eyes, Conan realized, that resembled his own. "Hey, aren't these a little strange?"

"So you noticed it too?" Kid replied flatly.

"None of the reports here mentioned the attempts on your life, which is big news."

"It's not just that." Kid leaned forward, papers rustling against the strumming beats of raindrops as he handed some of the reports he'd been scanning through to Conan. "They've been manipulated. There were snipers that left quite a mess during the Givenchy Necklace, the Falcon Earring and the Alexandria heists. They fired from the windows. Sometimes walls. They fired from distant buildings, and the squad knew this. Inspector Nakamori knew this. But if you read these – " he paused.

Conan took the papers from the Kid and leafed through it.

* * *

><p><em>Case Number: 0286<em>_  
><em>Date: 12 September XXXX<em>  
><em>Reporting Officer: Officer Takawara<em>  
><em>Incident: Theft<em>  
><em>Weapons Objects Used: Gas masks, bullet-proof vests, helicopters, spotlights, police cars, glass safe, security laser system__

_On September 11, XXXX, at approximately 17:10, kaitou 1412 sent a notice to the HQ (via delivery man) addressed to Inspector Nakamori, saying that he will steal the Givenchy Necklace from the Beika Museum on September 12, XXXX, at exactly 20:30_

…

_At exactly__20:29, the entire floor was engulfed in sleeping gas_

…

_Several bullets were fired from the vent, damaging several museum properties, just before kaitou 1412 descended into the crime scene from the source of the attack. Squad members Ogino, Tadano and Yamamoto were grazed at the arm, forehead and shin. The weapon used to fire could possibly be a machine gun, judging by the amount of bullets fired at the given amount of time._

…

_Kaitou 1412 left with the Givenchy Necklace at approximately__21:10._

* * *

><p><em>Case Number: 0295<em>_  
><em>Date: 5 November XXXX<em>  
><em>Reporting Officer: Officer Yamamoto<em>  
><em>Incident: Theft and assault<em>  
><em>Weapons Objects Used: Bullet-proof vests, helicopters, police cars, giant electric fan, falling prison bars,__

…

_Kaitou 1412 appeared from a puff of smoke on top of the Falcon Earring's glass case_

…

_After firing the machine gun around the room, kaitou 1412 left through the door while the officers were still in a state of shock._

* * *

><p><em>Case Number: 0301<em>

_Date: 2 June XXXX__  
><em>Reporting Officer: Officer Suzuki<em>  
><em>Incident: Theft<em>  
><em>Weapons Objects Used: Bullet-proof vests, helmets, Helicopters, gas masks, tranquilizer gun, glass safe__

_On June 2, XXXX, at approximately__6:00, kaitou 1412 sent his notice through__Tokyo__TV._

…

_At exactly__17:30__kaitou 1412 appeared on top of the glass case with__Alexandria__already in his possession. The glass window suddenly broke, and an unidentified Squad Member informed everyone that the criminal has already escaped through the broken window via hang glider._

…

_The person on the hang glider which the Task Force has been following turned out to be a dummy ._

…

_A .50 caliber rifle cartridge was found on the floor near the glass case of__Alexandria. Forensics concluded that this was used by kaitou 1412 to open the glass case earlier that day. Whether it was fired by an assistant or by the criminal himself is unknown._

* * *

><p>"Something is going on here."<p>

"Really, detective?"

"This is either a completely different case, or absolutely related to Ran's kidnapping. If it is related, then we can conclude that we're not dealing with a couple of noobs." Conan's voice sounded cold and distant, even to his own ears. He hated the bittersweet aftertaste it left in his mouth – hated it almost as much as he hated the message behind his words.

_They're not dealing with noobs_. They're dealing with professionals. Someone that could tamper with goddamn police reports. Someone in the higher-ups. Someone…that could be _them._

"We should look into the officers who made these reports. Takawara, Yamamoto and Suzuki. Possibly more – I'm sure that these aren't the only reports that have been manipulated," he said in a soft breath, vaguely aware that the brisk wind outside their window has grown strong enough to muffle his own voice. But Kid was a lot of things – perceptive being one of them. The thief could pick up the most subtle of sounds; those that didn't want to be noticed. That is why he easily understood what the detective had said.

"You do your research," Kid replied, standing up. "I'll do my own. I'll pass by tomorrow morning to compile what we've gathered."

"Can I have your number?"

Kid paused for a second, shoulders visibly tensing beneath the thick material of his school uniform. Conan rolled his eyes, feeling the patience dissipate. "I need to have some way to contact you just in case I figure something out. Isn't that right, Kuroba Kaito?" The unsaid statement hung in the air: _Iknowwhoyouarealreadyit'snotlikeitwillmakeadifference._

"Fine," the word rolled off Kid's tongue with its usual nonchalance. "But my contact name there'd better be Kaito-niichan."

"No way."

"Yes. Way." Kid was smiling like a cat. "If Kudou Shinichi is ever found out, they're going to investigate everyone you're acquainted with – including those in your contacts. I don't want to be caught in the loop."

"It's not going to make a difference!" he hissed.

"Yes it will. Everyone in Conan's phone is addressed with either neechan or niichan after their names. 'Kid that bastard' is going to raise some brows, don't 'cha think, detective-kun?"

"How'd you know that everyone in my contacts have –"

"Here."

Conan stared at the thief, his mouth hanging open, as the aforementioned criminal handed him back his phone. And then – "Stop stealing my stuff without my permission, goddamn it!"

"It's not stealing if I'm going to return it."

"I'm not even going to argue about this pointless thing anymore," he sighed, getting tired of Kid's usual flippancy. Talking with him was like skating with fish for shoes – very shaky, constantly shifting.

"Well," Kid eventually drawled, standing up. "I'm going to have a word with the Inspector about this. It wouldn't hurt to be more cautious with those he is working with, especially since they most probably saw Aoko today."

The detective froze, a panicked breath hitching in his throat. "Saw her, you say?" he all but screamed. "Kid, what the _hell_ were you –"

"Calm down!" Kid's expression was a mixture of amusement, shock and smugness. "I've got it all under control."

The rain was beating harder now, and the thief's face was very calm. Down below, he could hear Mouri's voice bellowing curses in his tobacco-plastered voice. If he didn't know the impact of Ran's disappearance on him was, he would've thought that he has regained his usual vigor. Sadly, he knew better than that. He knew that the Uncle's voice was never that raspy. Ran was always there to hold him back, and although his wife was doing a pretty good job at doing just that then, it doesn't reverse the effects of the smoke in his body before she came over.

Nakamori-san was whispering something that he couldn't make out. Her voice was soft, almost sweet and child-like. He briefly wondered how demonic it could get if he revealed to her Kid's identity then and there just because the thief was being an annoying, unpredictable little prick.

But that'd be bad for him. Kid knew about him – Shinichi. And as much as he was tempted to spat a budding stream of curses into the international criminal's face, Kaitou Kid was still smiling; that meant that things really were under control.

"What do you plan to do about it?" he asked instead.

"It's not something you need to worry about."

The thief turned to his heels, hand about an inch from the doorknob when Conan added "tell him to let his daughter stay here."

"What?"

"I doubt that you didn't consider the dangers of taking her home. If there really are spies in the police, and if they did see her, wouldn't they be on the move to get to her?"

Kid's put his hands in his pockets, and he turned to Conan, eyes glaring. "Yes…" he started, voice hissing dangerously low. "_Yes._I considered that, and I wasn't planning to take her to her house."

"So wherever you were planning to take her…is it safer than here?"

Indigo eyes narrowed, fixing Conan with an intense, calculating gaze. "In what sense?"

"The heck are you blabbering about?"

"Detective, try to look at this in my perspective. My childhood friend, who happens to look like your girlfriend is sleeping under the same roof with a perverted teenage boy shrunk to look like an innocent baby."

He never exactly figured out how the Kid knows who he really is, but he supposed that it wasn't that big of a mystery. One boy disappears, another one appears packed with the same interests and the same intellect despite his physical age. He shouldn't be surprised if the thief has managed to hack into his files, only to realize that the little boy, Edogawa Conan, was never born.

"Baby?" he groaned

"You look it."

"And perverted? Really, Kid? I'm not the guy who goes around town dressed in women's clothing!"

"Must I remind you that that is a part of my job?" There was the usual levity tinting his voice, but underneath it all, Conan could sense a darker, more skeptical and edgy tone. A beat of silence passed. Then, with a more accusing face, "Don't act like you've never seen Mouri-san naked because of your child-like appearance."

The blush was all the thief needed to have his statement confirmed. "Gotcha."

"T-that wasn't my choice!" Conan stammered. "And at least I don't flip women's skirts up with card guns, all the while parading as this _gentleman_ thief!"

Kid's face instantly turned blank, eyes turning cold for some odd reason. The pint-sized private eye couldn't help but wonder why that statement earned him such an ire, hateful look. Last time Kid attempted to flip Ran's skirt up as Officer Takagi, didn't he get away?

He wanted to ask what was up with that, but he realized that there was a bigger issue here brought about by the vanity of Kaitou Kid, and it needed to be resolved.

"Listen," he sighed, honestly amused by how much of a teen the world-renowned Phantom Thief actually was, "if you have another way of keeping Nakamori-san safe, then by all means, do so."

"No, this is much safer than the place I had in mind." Kid decided to drop his poker face, though Conan wasn't exactly sure how much he'd allowed it to drop. Thing was, he could actually see the kaitou's wariness and discomfort, and that in itself was a big crack in the mask. "I'm going. Watch over her, detective."

What little light-heartedness Kid had going around his last quip was quickly overshadowed by the dripping serious undertone, and Conan couldn't fight back a smile.

"Of course."

* * *

><p>Kaito was too driven by the new findings that he forgot to tell Aoko about his early leave. Still, he supposed that it was for the best. Granted, he'll be labelled a jerk, but it saves him the effort of coming up with a reason to leave her behind. She'll follow him, he's sure, and who was Kuroba Kaito to deny her the privilege? Who was Kuroba Kaito to know in advance that Aoko was going to stay in Detective Mouri's agency until this whole mess was over?<p>

Kuroba Kaito was supposed to know only as much as she did, so he donned a disguise and left the office as Kaitou Kid.

He stepped into the sidewalk and walked left – the soles of his shoes wet because of puddles. He's glad that the rain has dissipated into a soft, tolerable drizzle, though. It was a good night to use his hang glider.

He rounded the corner into a dim street, the roads hardly lit by surrounding streetlights. The trees around him cast long, twisting shadows in the asphalt; the branches and leaves giving it an eerie, sinister feel in the uneven lighting. Far into the distance, Kid catches a twinkle of glass right across a twenty-four hour convenience store. Smiling, face shadowed by his black cap, he walked towards it.

It was a quiet night brought about by the aftermath of the rain: no rustle of trees or chirps of crickets – just the distant traffic, too vague to register consciously.

The door of the phone booth swings loudly behind him as he closes it. Then, he reaches for the phone to make his call.

Nakamori picks up on the first ring. "Hello?"

"Inspector," he greeted in Kid's usual tone.

There was a pause from the other line – a quiet intake of breath – and Kid is grinning from ear to ear. "It's me."

"Yeah, I figured out that much! You're the only guy with such a cocky voice I know!"

Kid decides to ignore his usual statements and racks his brain for a place that shouldn't raise brows should the Inspector go there at that time of the night. A place that wasn't his house.

"The rooftop of Metropolitan Police Headquarters. Fifteen minutes," he says.

"Did you figure something out?" Nakamori asks, suddenly sombre.

"Yes."

And he puts the phone down.

The Inspector sounded on edge and absolutely tired. He needed to keep the conversation short and direct, should Nakamori's phone be bugged. Still, despite it all, the moment that Kaitou Kid hung up, Kuroba Kaito shuddered in panic. After all, despite it all, he was still a _kid. _And no matter how much it hurt, Nakamori is the man he considered a dad right after his own.

And Nakamori isn't exactly known for his patience.

* * *

><p>The Police Headquarters isn't a prominent building in Tokyo. It is merely a speck of dust in the constellation of infrastructure all over Tokyo, so Kid uses landmarks such as Tropical Land and the Touto Tower to maneuver his way across the city.<p>

The thick material of his school uniform rustles loudly as he slices through the still night air, and Kid looks down. It's a relatively starless night because of the fog, so the city lights shine brighter than usual from his vantage point. Good.

He easily spots a dim corner just about a block away from the Metropolitan Police Headquarters, and he immediately identifies it as an old, abandoned house. Knowing better than to land on police territory as Kid, he lands on its patio – folding the hang glider at his back as an extra precaution just in case he needs to make a quick getaway.

After getting on a bus to make his travel faster, he realized just how tired he was. His knees were aching – a grim reminder of his mistake.

The mistake was letting Aoko out of his sight, thus, ending with her in the Police Headquarters for all the spies to see. The ache in the knee – he got from chasing after her right after that, making sure that no strange men were following her. _Stalking_ her. And goddamn, they're lucky they weren't because Kaito had been ready to pull the biggest prank of the century.

The bus rounded a corner, and Kid could see the Headquarters coming into view. After getting off, he entered the building as Kuroba Kaito because the boy's presence there wouldn't raise any brows. He went to the bathroom and slapped on a disguise: a uniform and some face putty – just enough to make a face that wasn't his own. It was a little older. A little darker.

And he strolled into the halls as a common janitor.

* * *

><p>The rooftop was cold that evening – the slick wind licking Kid's face when he carefully opened the stairwell door.<p>

Nakamori was already there, leaning against the fences, a dark silhouette in the starless night. Kid couldn't exactly tell if the man was facing him or the other side, but judging by the angle and the fact that he didn't freak upon his entrance, he could safely assume that he was facing away.

He leaned against the wall, form automatically lithe and nonchalant.

"Good evening, Inspector."

Nakamori whirled around so fast that he almost tripped, and the thief watched, eyes cat-like.

"Kid," he hissed

"I must say," he said, "it's flattering how you're always on time."

"Enough talk! So what information have you got?" Nakamori was making his way towards him, and Kid automatically reaches for the hang glider switch beneath his jumper – all the while maintaining his air of theatricality.

Then the man froze, as if taking into account for the first time, really, the shrinking gap between him and the goddamn Kid; _Kid_ who could walk on air, disappear into nothing, and was otherwise untouchable.

There's about an arm's distance between them, and the thief smiles – more out of habit than anything. "I read through the police reports, and I found some rather peculiar things."

He tries to maintain the levity in his voice. Tries very hard because he knows that if these cases are related, they're in trouble.

"The police reports are claiming that I fired those shots, even if the entire Task Force knew otherwise."

"Yeah, I noticed that too before dropping them off on the rooftop." There was a brief pause, and Nakamori cleared his throat. "Takawara, Suzuki, Yamamoto, Todano and Haizaki – the men who wrote those police reports – are among the best in the squad. And I was there when Takawara wrote his. We were going over the details of your heist together. What he wrote at the end wasn't anything like that."

"And the others?"

"I didn't see, but if someone altered Takawara's reports, then the same probably also happened to them."

Kid could see it plain as day that while the Inspector was trying to be detached, defending the squad was coming from the heart. Nakamori knew what the manipulated police reports meant. He knew that it meant that there were traitors among them.

And while Kid may not know how much the man cared for his men, Kaito did. And at that moment, all Kaito could do was stand back and allow the thief to take over this otherwise professional conversation with Uncle.

"Who do the reports go through?"

Nakamori paused for awhile, pondering.

"Some...rookies deliver them to the Superintendent, who files them accordingly before making somebody else compile them in a folder."

"Who has keys to these cabinets?"

"Superintendent Inoue, me, other inspectors from other divisions, some staff I presume?"

"I could investigate these people tomorrow," His lips curve into a smirk, "after I wreck havoc within the Headquarters – dressed up as your daughter, that is."

Kid couldn't help it.

Nakamori froze. And stared. Then, _"What?"_

"I'm sure that you're aware that the squad saw her today. I wouldn't put it past criminals of their caliber to start hunting for her now that they know she's safe."

Nakamori had gone pale. Kid can see that with the small tinge of stray city lights drifting over his face. Then – "_Shit_! Holy shit! _Aoko_ – she's – I've gotta –"

"She'll be fine," Kid snapped in a more serious tone. It worked, because the Inspector stopped fumbling for his phone and turned to look at the thief. "She's staying with Detective Mouri for the week."

But the statement only served to add fuel to the fire. "_What_? Why am I just hearing about this now? Why the _hell_ didn't I know this?"

"It was a recent decision, Inspector. I'm sure you'll get the call about the details later. Just know that she's safer there."

With a bodyguard as sharp, quick-witted and (aherm) vertically-challenged as the one she had then, she should be fine.

There was an unaccounted pause, and Kid catches a glint in Nakamori's eyes that tells him he's watching him. Analyzing. Reading like some antique book written in Latin. And Kid may be smart, but he's no mind-reader. He doesn't know what went through the Inspector's mind because next thing he knew, the man had visibly relaxed – shoulders dropping, form unfreezing.

"Okay," he whispers, voice as soft as snowflake. "So? What's this about dressing up as my daughter?"

Kid tells him about his plans, locking out all emotion and mirth as he goes about the details. He says it professionally – quick and clean as old bones. Then when he's done, he feels strange – strange because he is a criminal instructing a police inspector in a voice and a face that wasn't his own. And with only the glider underneath his attire, there is a very thin line between Kid and Kaito.

He feels strange because he is talking about Aoko while he is Kid, pretending that she is a stranger to him; pretending that he doesn't know what the color of panties are.

"So you think you can pull it off?" he asks.

Nakamori doesn't even pause to think. "Of course!"

He hears footsteps padding towards them from within the stairwell, so he straightens up and tips his cap politely, sharp teeth at the corner of his mouth glinting beneath up-twisted lips.

"Then I must take my leave. I'll be seeing you tomorrow, Inspector."

Nakamori doesn't even have time to respond because the stairwell door flies open, and a Squad Member (_Mashiro_. Kid identifies him) steps into the rooftop.

"Inspector, there's a case downtown."

Kid slips into the door. He covers himself in a black cloak – form easily mingling with the shadows. Then before either Nakamori or Mashiro could have the chance to see him, he _leaps_ quietly down the steps.

* * *

><p>Author's note:<p>

Okay, this chapter took _really_ long to make! Yes, I actually researched about the format of police reports, and I tried to find the date of Kid's canon heists but they were _hard_ I tell ya!

I'm working a bit more on the flow of this story, so I might not get to update as frequently as before. Real life is a big distraction, y'see! It's not my fault!

Haha, anyway, I hope you enjoyed this.


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